Piping for use in liquid collection and distribution

Abstract

Piping for use in liquid collection and distribution, e.g. in liquid-solid contact vessels, has an extruded pipe having on one side a pair of outwardly-projecting spaced arms each having a re-entrant lip forming a support channel with re-entrant sides extending along the channel. Channel-section strainer members are slid endwise into the support channel with the sides of the strainer channel being received between the lip and the outer surface of the pipe and with the bottom of the strainer channel, which is provided with strainer slots or perforations, bridging between the support channel sides. In use, orifices are formed through the side wall of the pipe to communicate with the interior of the support channel to provide for distribution and collection of liquids through the strainer members. The structure provides a screened slot extending continuously along the length of the pipe, and is easily assembled without requiring special tools.

I claim: 
     
       1. Piping for use in liquid collection and distribution comprising in combination an extruded pipe having in cross-section an interior opening and on one side a pair of outwardly projecting spaced arms each having a re-entrant lip adjacent its outer end, thereby forming a support channel with re-entrant sides extending along the pipe, and at least one channel-section strainer member adapted to be slid endwise longitudinally into the support channel with each side of the channel of the strainer member being received snugly between the lip of a respective support channel side and the outer surface of the pipe and the bottom of the channel-section strainer bridging between the support channel sides and being formed with strainer perforations. 
     
     
       2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein said arms extend generally parallel to one another and symmetrically with respect to a transverse median of the pipe, and the strainer member is of a generally rectangular cross-section. 
     
     
       3. The combination as claimed in claim 2 wherein the pipe is generally circular in cross-section and said arms extend symmetrically with respect to a diameter of the pipe. 
     
     
       4. The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein the external surface of the pipe is curved in cross-section and the upper edges of the channel sides of the strainer member conform to the angle defined between the surface of the pipe and the inner sides of the support channel. 
     
     
       5. The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein the outer edges of the sides of the support channel and of the re-entrant lip are smoothly rounded. 
     
     
       6. The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein the perforations in the strainer member comprise uniformly spaced slots extending transversely across the bottom of the channel of the strainer member. 
     
     
       7. The combination as claimed in claim 6 wherein the perforations flare outwardly through the thickness of the strainer channel bottom toward the inner side of the strainer member. 
     
     
       8. The combination as claimed in claim 1 comprising a plurality of said strainer members each of uniformly short length as compared with the pipe length and adapted to be butted together end to end to form a continuous strainer extending along the length of the support channel. 
     
     
       9. The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein said pipe is molded of synthetic resin. 
     
     
       10. The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein said strainer member is extruded of synthetic resin. 
     
     
       11. The combination as claimed in claim 10 wherein the strainer member has a laterally projecting wear rib extending longitudinally continuously along the outer face of each of its channel sides. 
     
     
       12. Liquid-distributing and collecting piping comprising the combination as claimed in claim 1, having a plurality of apertures spaced longitudinally along the pipe length through the wall of the pipe between the support channel sides, said at least one strainer member being received within the support channel, and end capping means closing one end of the pipe and the end of the support channel and adjacent thereto. 
     
     
       13. Piping as claimed in claim 12 wherein said support channel terminates at a point spaced from said one end of the pipe and said end capping means comprise a cap member threaded onto said one end of the pipe.